Vision of Division
by SomeMisguidingName
Summary: Two hundred years had passed since Derris Kharlan had moved away from Aselia. The remnants of Cruxis find themselves encountering their old world, much having changed. Fierce climate and the withering of mana cause the beginning of a new journey. r / r
1. Drifting Swordsman

I do not own these characters; they are fictional…however much I wish they were not. Possible offensive language…

A.N.- takes place two hundred years after the ending of symphonia.

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**Vision of Division**

**Chapter One: Drifting Swordsman**

He was unaware of when he had lost his emotions.

They had escaped from his body like a large gasp of air. Willing their way out, far too crowded to stay inside.

The memories of something more than a void were circling around him... He knew of these memories. Good memories, bad memories. Their tangible existence was questionable in his mind. His memories of people and places, that he couldn't grasp anymore. Memories that could no longer be physically apparent, were held out of his reach by his own subconscious, muddling the events of the past. Knowing the truth, in his case, was definitely not feeling the truth.

Had those events really happened to him? Had time deluded all that was his truth? He could only hope. The poor man knew far too many truths about his life, about history…that living in fiction was the only why he could breathe. That was his only option.

So his memories had been expelled, pushed far away from his heart. Truth had been masked with unwillingness to remember, to think.

The seraph had liked it that way. How else would he spend all eternity being able to balance out the misfortunes of life? He was trapped in himself- the only place his soul could not stand to be, bound by the past.

"We will be within range soon," A voice called out from the other side of the room.

Kratos Aurion nodded to his friend.

Derris Kharlan had been drifting for years, two hundred to be exact. Two hundred long years of drifting through space, being just but a marble in the universe. It had only been a few weeks since they had figured out they were arriving at the opposite end of Aselia's gravitational pull.

He almost hoped it was just a parallel existence. Maybe a memory of Martel's, that was thought into existence. Was this even possible?

"Maybe I am delusional," he muttered to himself, his head resting in his hands as if it was a burden to hold up- and it was.

The man on the other side of the room stood up from his seat, "This should be interesting, to say the least." Yuan walked towards the door, giving Kratos an apprehensive, yet mockingly serious look. "What if we get there and all intelligent life is lost?"

Kratos smirked, shaking his head at the blue haired man's comment. "Then the world and mana would be safe."

Kratos was serious, speaking truthfully, though quite astringent. He had watched history repeat itself for thousands of years. Pointless wars, racism, genocide. He had watched stupidity and pure careless consumption of life-source. It was truly in the heart of men, that the greatest evil lied.

In a moment's time, one feeling broke into his darkened thoughts, like a lone soldier struggling to break through endless space. For a second he felt a pure energy run through his body, directing his thoughts. Some had managed to shatter his negative perception on life. Pure hearted souls with enough energy to break through his lifeless being. Till this day, their memories alone had enough strength to overcome the barriers of Kratos' thoughts. For this he was grateful. Quite terrible, how the sole remnants of his happiness also caused him the biggest grievance.

Would people of such pure energy still be on his mother planet?

Yuan knew he shouldn't push Kratos to talk about his past. Hell, he didn't even like to think about it. It was the curse of the seraphim to see death- unfortunately just not their own. Yuan's eyes averted from Kratos' slumped stance. It was obvious that the man was on the brink of eradicating any good thoughts of the past, for the sole fact that it hurt too much to think of. He had become weak, emotionally weakened.

"So what do you think happened to everyone after we left?" Yuan knew he was being abrumpt, but two hundred years of beating around the bush had left him in the dark and anxious. He knew now may be his only chance to get an answer before Kratos had to face what was left of his previous life.

There was a deep inhalation from the red headed man. He could think about the truth of what had happened to the others…he could. But he had forced himself to do the opposite for so long, that he wouldn't.

"How many times have you asked me that same question?"

Yuan sighed, disappointed in himself for being so blunt in his questioning. "You know, I'm sorry, I truly am…Please understand however, that I need to know. There still are emotions swimming through my veins. I need to know, for myself."

Kratos laughed, mockingly, painfully. "Only in my twisted perceptions do I not have emotions. If you want to know, go find out. I do not need to know what I fear..." For it was easier, less sorrowful to not know the truth.

"Or maybe you fear, what you already know," Yuan meekly stated, half in sarcasm. His insinuations stepping over the border of Kratos' sanity.

Kratos' eyes grew slightly wider at that comment, though he was determined to hide any sign of emotion. Who was he kidding? He, the angel of darkness, had no emotion. Not much at all. Mostly anyways. Almost completely vanished.

Surely he was definite about this.

"That is enough," Kratos' voice was stern, warning not to proceed.

Yuan had tried countless times to converse with him about such a topic. Each time he was met with a short, bitter reply. Yuan couldn't feel much more guilty about bringing it up. However he knew Kratos' inability to face the truth was to do more harm then good. Maybe Yuan was more willing to progress since more time had passed since Martel had passed away.

Yuan knew that the time was coming that Kratos would have to deal with his past. He would have to face the reality of a human life, which was death.

Yuan clasped his hands together tightly, shaking his head, his eyes slightly clouded by anger. He didn't know if he could take anymore distractions from reality- he had only been trying to help. "If there is anyone who can understand you Kratos…"

"It is you…yeah, right. I know. Thanks." Kratos swiveled around in his chair, turning his back to the blue haired seraph.

Kratos knew it wasn't Yuan who was aggravating him…in fact, he knew Yuan was probably the last person he should be acting curt to. He had to avoid his past at all cost however, he had to avoid himself.

"You know, truth has a way of bending itself. It will lose its meaning if you ignore it for too long. Do not let time distort your soul. Eventually you will never be able to find yourself. Lost in your own reality of fact and fiction…your life is no story…you can't just fill in the blanks."

Yuan sighed heavily after speaking, vexed by Kratos' repetitive behavior.

They would be arriving within the hour.

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Short, I know. My apologies…more soon, please reply and give me more motivation!


	2. A New World Order

I am not claiming to own these characters. Slight offensive language.

I can feel that this is going to be a long story. Thanks to those who had reviewed, I really appreciate it. It gives me much more will to continue on with this.

Please Review!! Let me know how I am doing, and be honest! Be like, "Hey, you really suck." Or "Stop right now, your work is giving my brain cancer." Or, "To be polite…If I were you, I would kill myself..."

( Any of these will do. )

Bringing more characters into the story...

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**Vision of Division**

**Chapter Two: A New World Order**

It was lovely, how the snow fell…gently, whisping throughout the air. Each flake on a journey…reaching great distances, like the young man's own body. He had always liked the snow, covering everything within eyesight, making all scenery one color- making everything harmonious.

How the snow reminded Markel of his old home in Flanoir. He had traveled quite a long distance by foot, following the cold, like birds following the warmth. In a world of change, he could always trust the elements to be by his side. He was grateful that even if the people around him changed or he himself changed, the weather would stick by him and give him a sense of normalcy. This was his rock, his mediator, his security.

Until recently. He had heard from the elders of the gradual climate change, now over the years, becoming quite fierce. Skeptics had challenged for as long as he could remember, that these 'climate changes' were false assumptions, and untrue. However, it was becoming quite apparent… Heck, it was even the reason he had moved away from Flanior.

His snow covered, harmonious, land of unity, had become much like a swamp. Last he had heard from Flanoir, from remaining friends and family, Markel's old house had dropped into a sinkhole. A sinkhole that had already encompassed most of the surrounding land.

Markel sighed, saddened by thinking about the matter. All the memories he had held in the town, for almost twenty years, were still residing in his head…but all the people and places, what had become of them? Had they been caught up in the falling land?

"Markel, please help me with the engine over here," Markel's grandfather's voice came to his ears, muffled by the hood of a small rheaird. It was his grandfather that had welcomed him into his new home, though this area was also facing drastic weather changes. This land, once green and lively, was now covered in Markel's favorite harmonious white.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he walked over to the older man, who was much more of a father to him then a grandfather. Though the man was in poor health, he devoted his life and what was left of his strength to knowledge, and to carrying on what his ancestors had left him. Markel watched as the elder's frail hands worked on the ancient machinery. Meticulously moving over pieces of metal, each movement of his was flawlessly calculated to accomplish the job.

The lack of mana in the world left technology, such as the rheairds, close to extinction. Along with the technology or Magitech, knowledge of such machines had also disappeared. Mana shortages had been apparent for the last hundred years or so, about the same time climate shifts began to occur. Along with the dying land, mana was being drained from the world.

The old man pointed Markel to a part of the engine that needed tightening and then looked up from his work briefly. "This machine has been in the family for generations. My grandfather gave it to me, before he passed…though he barely knew how to use it. My father studied for decades to catch up, to figure out a way to run this flyer…"

"And after all those decades he still couldn't figure it out?" Markel interrupted his grandfather's speech.

The older man smiled at the memory of his father, emitting a small chortle from his lips, "Let's just say he was a slow learner." The man's eyes were kind, crinkled at the corners from years of stress, and laughter. "It is a hard task however, with little mana to use. We had to figure out a way to run it -consuming minimal mana. After all these years, I know our ancestors would be proud to know that it is almost complete."

Markel smiled, he loved when his grandfather would talk about his ancestors. Markel's mother and father had passed away when he was a little child, leaving him with his aunts in the higher region of the world. Hearing anything about the nature of his family, gave him a sense of comfort.

Markel's grandfather continued, "With this Markel, when I pass away… you may be the only person in Aselia with the power of the rheaird."

Markel nodded, not fully aware of what his grandfather's intentions for the machine were. Sure, it would be useful and efficient to be able to fly from place to place, but how would this be functional for anything else? His eyes examined the machine; its wings perched like a bird, almost encompassing the entire room of his grandfather's workshop.

"Are you listening to me boy?"

Markel snapped out of his thoughts, his cheeks slightly reddened that he was caught daydreaming in his own diversion. "Yes, sorry sir."

The older man sighed audibly, a small hint of a smile still remaining on his face. How this child reminded him of himself at that age. "It's okay, when my father and grandfather were explaining this to me, I was even more careless than you." He paused for a moment to chuckle, his eyes hazing over with thoughts of the past. "Please just remember Markel, with this technology, you also hold great responsibility. If there is anything that seems direly wrong in this world…you may be but one of a few who can help. Remember Dwarven Vow number one…"

"Let's all work together for a peaceful world," Markel stated from memory, having grown up with these vows. These vows had been passed on throughout his family history for generations. It was slightly confusing to him however, since he had no Dwarven blood in him.

Markel nodded, not fully understanding the extent of his grandfather's concern. He could feel it however, as if these emotions were installed in his blood. It was almost as if a sense of urgency had been passed down throughout his family. Markel's hands slipped away from the metal he was working on, and clenched at his sides as he let this sensation course throughout his body.

If fate had lead him in the direction of helping the world and the people around him, he knew there would be no way he could deny it. It was simply just in his nature. Dwarven Vow number two, 'Never abandon someone in need.' He knew the time was coming he would have to leave his new home, here in Iselia.

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Genis Sage had been working incessantly for hours, studying anything and everything. He knew trying to figure out the reason for the current mana shortage was going to be a wearisome task, especially since transportation recently was at a halt. It was hard for him to come up with anything conclusive, when all he could research was past events written in books. He was trapped in Iselia.

He could tell easily, just from being aware of his senses, that mana was being depleted from the world. He had felt it coming on for years, decades really. He was one of the few in his town that had ever experienced a time where mana was flourishing. Due to his background as a half-elf, time could not be measured for Genis; He was unbound by the ties of time.

"This is absolutely marvelous!" Raine shouted to Genis, barging into the room they called their study. "What a great find!"

Her sudden entrance and ecstatic antics made Genis roll his eyes, "What is it now Raine?" This may have been the fifth time she had exclaimed such remarkable findings today.

Rained carefully placed a rolled up map on the desk in front of Genis, pushing to the side piles of books he had been reading. Bit by bit she unrolled the fragile paper, her smile growing wider with every inch that became visible. "Do you know what this is?"

Genis' eyebrow furrowed in question, "I would hope, it's the map of the world."

"Yes, exactly…notice how in specific regions the color is distorted?"

Genis' eyes quickly glanced over the map, uninterested in her findings. "Oh," Genis sighed, "So it's an old, faded map of the world."

Rained shook her head fervently, annoyed by her younger brother's lack of enthusiasm towards her find. "How do you not see the correlation between the faded areas, and the areas where the climate has changed?!" She sighed heavily, continuing on "This map pretty much predicted the climate change and the falling of land before it happened. Think about this, how could someone have known about this so far in advance!? This map encloses information far beyond its time!"

Genis' eyes had been closed for almost the entirety of her rambling. His head was resting on the palm of his hand, white hair escaping from every which angle, covering his face. Within moments he was on floor, pushed from his resting position by a quick jabbing movement from his sister.

"Ugh," Genis moaned, rubbed his elbow that had been caught between him and the wood of the floor. "Alright, alright. I'm listening."

Raine's eyes bore into his, "Great, now that I have your attention-"

"Only by brute force…" Genis inserted quickly.

Ignoring his comment, she continued, "If someone had the capability of finding out such activities…maybe they would know of a way to help in the matter."

Genis nodded, "That seems like a reasonable assumption. Just where did you get the map though?"

The expression on Raine's face changed promptly, mischievousness and caution now enveloping the features of her face. "I may have taken it from somewhere."

Genis' eyes widened, knowing his sister too well, "You stole an artifact?!"

For once Raine was silent. It was a rare time in history that the room resounded in anything but Raine's voice.

Genis shook his head, almost in disbelief…almost. If this had been the first time she had acted this way, maybe he would have been more shocked. Standing up from his position on the ground Genis urged, "Where did you get it?"

Raine knew the question was coming. However, she wasn't prepared. She wasn't even sure it was possible to be prepared. She didn't want to tell the younger half-elf the truth. Not because she didn't want to be considered a thief; because she didn't want to arise disheartening emotions in her brother. Starting off slowly, she responded. "Well… Markel's grandfather showed it to me. It was in the Temple of Martel." She knew mentioning the young man's name was to be done with carefulness around Genis.

"Oh," he replied, the volume of his voice lowering. "Markel's grandfather."

Genis' eyes drifted closed once again. His memories couldn't help but to be brought to another time…another place, with different people. After another long moment of silence, Genis' voice arose from inside the room, slightly cracking as emotion seeped into his tone. "Maybe we should meet with them."

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hope you like it, please review!


	3. Tower to the Sky

Sorry about the wait, if anyone is even waiting…hehe. There were 200 hits…and four reviews…one being from my boyfriend. I feel defeated. Please? Pretty please, review? Thanks to those who did review however…you rock my socks.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia.

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**Vision of Division**

**Chapter Three: Tower to the Sky**

As he expected Derris Kharlan had been pulled towards Aselia, as if the planet had a will of its own. It was gravity's natural phenomenon, by which all objects with mass attract each other. And such was happening at quite the alarming rate, Kratos almost feared collision. The planet had drifted, drifted endlessly- only to come back to it's old standpoint, which he had thought impossible.

What were the chances of the planet realigning with Aselia? With all the ineffable amount of space in the universe…he thought it more likely to stumble across a new planet, previously unknown.

Would there be a collision? Would the much smaller Dherris Kharlan be emcompassed by Aselia's gravitational field? The laws of physics pointed to yes, stating that Dherris Kharlan's mass was much too small to maintain a safe orbit around Aselia. And now, the remnants of Cruxis didn't have the Eternal Sword to guarentee their security…it being the only link in keeping the planets in a steady revolution around each other.

This was a game of chance; The unlikelyness of their current position, the stability of the two planets…and the fact any law of science or magitech, any history of the past, would proclaim that these circumstances were not just highly unprobable- but very unpredictable.

But here they were, Yuan, Kratos, and many lifeless angels, on a collision course of uncertainty.

Kratos sighed audibly, his fingers running through his red locks. He had thought of returning to Aselia for decades, always coming to the conclusion that such thought was pointless. Even if he could find a way there, how would he be able to get to the ground? He was sure the tower's of salvation were nothing more than rubble. The tall steeples of faith and hope, crumbling along with Mithos' twisted depiction of the God's and Goddess'.

His thinking of pointless possibilities had left him at a dead end. Why would he even want to go back? Everything that had kept him there, firmly rooted on the ground, he had willingly given up because of his responsibility to Cruxis.

Kratos' fist quickly came incontact with the wall in his personal study, creating a small indent on the nearly indestrucatable surroundings. "God dammit."

His voice echoed throughout the room, reverberating in his head. If only he hadn't been so loyal to an organization that…

It was time.

There was no warning from Yuan that they had arrived, no announcement that was mentioned to him. There was no alarm, or memo from a messenger angel.

Just the immense jud that sent him tumbling across the room, everything inside the room following him on his journey to smash into the wall. This was a clear enough indication that Derris Kharlan had been stopped on it's path through space. Broken wood from chairs, desks, and other random furniture were split apart, dressing the room like confetti because of the impact.

Kratos' hand momentarily covered his face, trailing over his chest, and reaching towards his extremities. Checking himself for injury, he stood up to the best of his ability, knocking away random items to give himself room.

"Well, I guess I'm alive." Kratos spoke unto the room, closing his eyes briefly. His brown orbs were covered as he thought about his words…wishing for quite the opposite. Pulling out his sword, he used it for clearing space infront of him. Like a machetti, he chopped at the ragad furniture, making his way towards the door.

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Yuan's frame was slouched as his back rested against the wall in his quarters. The impact had also sent him flying, like an atom of mass- far to weak to have a say in the matter.

Ejecting himself from his position on the ground he opened his door, walking down the bare hallways…not surprised to see not much was out of place. The hallways were bare, leaving not much to be tampered with. The kingdom of Cruxis was an indestructable castle, hell, a fortress. The mass of it's own entity wasn't even enough to bring it down.

"Are you alright?"

The familiar voice startled him in his examination, and Yuan turned around. "Yes, I am fine. I assume the same for you?"

Kratos emmittled a small chuckle, "We cant die. I thought that was already established."

Yuan nodded, his eyes averting over the hallways as they walked together, making sure nothing was too badly harmed.

They inspected the floors, not finding much disturbed. There was not much out of place, and any discrepency was easily recognizable. They walked towards the Derris Symbol, studying Mithos' old castle in the distance.

"Can you feel that?" Yuan asked, his eyes averting to a distance a little while off.

"The flow of mana changed," Kratos replied knowingly. They could sense the mana moving around them become more swift in it's current, almost as if it was being drained away from Derris Kharlan.

"It's not moving away quickly, but it is definitely going somewhere." Yuan replied, walking quickly towards where he felt the current was more immense…to the portal between worlds.

A flash of light shone through the dead portal, illuminating the previously dull hallway. It was the light of mana, the light of energy that had tied Aselia and Derris Kharlan for thousands of years. There, right infront of them, was a newly awakened portal of entry.

"This is not possible," Kratos murmered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't see how this is happening. This would mean…"

"The planets are bound by the Eternal Sword." Yuan finished his statement, before Kratos had the chance to.

Kratos could feel all thought seive away from his head. His legs began to feel numb as he used his arm to steady himself against a wall.

Yuan watched his friend in bewilderment. Had the man fainted while standing up? Kratos looked like he could barely find the energy to keep up his own frame. "Kratos, are you okay?" He was answered with silence, so he continued, "Answer me, are you alright?"

Kratos could feel his thoughts slowly come back to him, seeping in through a pinhole. And along with those thoughts, came dreaded memories…and feelings. He could feel them wretching in his stomach, begging for attention- though that was the last thing he had wanted.

He had been bombarded with the thoughts of one boy. A red embued figure casting his presense in his mind, a faint picture sparking recognition in the man. He could see spiky hair, much like his own… The eternal swordsman, his son…Lloyd.

"Ugh!" Kratos groaned loudly, anger, and hurt seeping into his tone. He sounded like he was in pain. However, no physical pain could surmount this deep pit of resentment he felt towards his past.

"Kratos, get a hold of yourself, the portal has opened."

Kratos covered his ears, like a child unwillinging to obey a parent's request. He had noticed the portal, and already knew the path to Aselia had opened. He had even began to question how this occured, the possible truths of it were currently eating at whatever was left of his heart.

Yuan placed a hand on the other seraph's shoulder. "We have to face this." He knew he had to abrupt, in fear that the light of the mana would fade, and their chance for entrance would close. "You know, you've become soft in your old age."

Kratos' legs felt like concrete as he followed Yuan towards the light, ignoring his comment. Like he actually cared how he had appeared.

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Genis' eyes mirrored the image he saw before him. It was far in the distance…glowing in the night.

He had felt the air change, a swift breeze pulling in large amounts of mana.

"Raine, Raine!" He yelled, calling to his sister who was sleeping on the couch. His eyes danced around the large light as he looked out his window, looking past the falling snow. "Wake up!"

Raine jerked her head up, startled by the sudden exclaimation. Quickly she was on her feet, pushing Genis' away from the window to get a good view at what was going on outside. "Oh my dear Martel…"

It had been years since either of them had witnessed anything of the sort. They could both feel the current of the air switch, mana flooding into the world.

"Is this magitech?" Genis asked, running towards the door to go outside.

"No," Raine answered quickly, following her younger brother. "It cant be, that would cause a depletion of mana, you know this."

They both stepped outside, fighting off the cold, in nothing but their pajamas. They eyes were entranced by this light, as everyone else that they could see were also outside…watching the mysterious glow.

"It's coming from where sylvarant's old tower of salvation was."

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Markel sighed, his head resting on his palm as he gazed out the back window of his grandfather's workshop. He had been watching the strange glow since it arrived an hour or two ago. Never before had he seen something as collasol, and he was shocked that something of that nature actually existed.

In fact, he didn't even notice the light until Noishe's bark had aggitated him out of his work on the rheaird. Noishe was persistent as he stood by the door whining until Markel had let him outside. It was then he had noticed the light, and since, he could not tear his eyes away from it.

He had wondered where Noishe had left to. Maybe to investigate the light itself, as he had an urge to. Markel's curiosity grew thinking about the light, however he could not find a logical reason as to how the light related to him, so he stayed indoors, watching the town's citizens comically run amuck.

A knocking on the front door shook Markel out of his daze. Looking away from the window, he walked towards the door, curious as to who would be knocking that late at night.

"Hello Markel," A women's voice greated, as she allowed herself inside the workshop. A shorter white haired boy followed her in, quickly glancing at Markel, and then keeping eye contact with the ground.

Markel nodded at the two, near strangers. These two had been friends of the family, or so he was told. He had not seen them much, and he couldn't help but notice that when he did there was a certain uncomfortableness between them. "Hi, haven't seen you two in a while…"

"Yes, it has been quite some time," Raine spoke quickly, "Listen, I was wondering if we could possibly speak to your grandfather."

Markel nodded again. "Yes, he's been resting all day. I'll get him for you though," he spoke, waving at the two of them to follow him deeper into the house. Holding up a finger, he signaled to the other two to hault as he entered his grandfather's bedroom.

The room was silent, his footsteps being the only indicator of human presense. His feet stopped a foot away from the corner of the bed, as he debated on whether or not it was a good idea to wake the sleeping man. His grandfather had been feeling weak lately, and he could use all the sleep he could get.

However, Raine and Genis seemed urgent. The fact that they had come over this late at night was odd, or even the fact that they had come over at all. Their presence was not a common occurance in his house. Their intentions must have been important.

Markel carefully pulled down the sheet off of his grandfather's head, putting a hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Grandfather," his voice spoke in the silent room.

Markel's eyes widened slightly, as he gently grasped his grandfather's shoulder. "Wake up…" He was met with more silence. Repeating his actions with more urgency he called out again. "Wake up grandfather!"

The man's form was still, his lips gently parted. Markel could feel a dryness overcome his mouth as he choked on his own breath. It took a few seconds for recognition, but the dreadful truth that there was no air escaping the older man's parted lips slowly came into his conscious.

Markel could feel his knees lock as his body slumped over the man's bed, "Please…please…" How could this be happening, so abruptly? Tears soon came to the young man's eyes, rolling down his cheeks to dampen the cloth underneath him. This man that had come to be much like a father to him, was now lifeless. His mentor, his..father, had left him…without any consilation or goodbye.

There was a soft knocking on the door, making him aware of the forgotten people waiting for his grandfather's company. Slowly pulling himself off the bed, he clenched his fists, bringing them towards his face to wipe away any remaining tears. "This can't be happening," Markel spoke softly. He had to take a moment to regain his mental stability as he walked over to a mirror in the corner of his grandfather's room.

Looking in the mirror his eyes gazed over his spiky brown hair, pale skin and brown eyes. He looked so much like the man lying in the bed close by, so much, that it saddened him to even look at himself. Walking towards the bed, he pulled the sheet back over the older man's head, fighting off the tears that were begging to be released. His shaky hand reached over to the bedside table, picking up his grandfather's open journal. Closing it, he put the journal under his arm, and walked towards the door.

How much death did one person have to see in their lives. He could not take much more…he now had only a few remaining in his family. The only thing he had left of many he had loved, was their memories. And he did not want to make any more memories like this one.

Closing the door behind him, he looked up, meeting the eye contact from the older half-elf. He could see the questioning look she was giving him, as he tried to find his words. His voice was quiet, his tone more than miserable, "He's…he's..."

His eyes quickly averted their glances, unwilling to explain what he couldn't cope with. "I, I can't…he."

"Markel, what's going on?" Genis urged.

"Grandfather…he…" Markel's head hung low, slowly shaking back and forth.

Raine's head bowed, realization dawning on her. She too, had known of the man's weak status. "Markel…".

Markel pushed back the tears he knew were about to make themselves known to the physical world. "Yes...he has left."

Genis pushed out a large breath of air upon recognition of the situation. "I am sorry."

Markel lifted his eyes to meet with Genis', feeling the truth behind Genis' sympathizing words. He nodded, not wanting the people infront of him to feel sorry for his loss. Losing his grandfather, was already such a great loss- he didn't want to add any more burden to the situation.

"What was it you two came here for?" Markel asked, changing the subject. His eyes once again found the wooden floor.

Raine quickly glanced at Genis and then back at Markel, wringing her hands together. Her plans now seemed miniscle because of the current situation. "We came because of that light to the East. There has been a change in mana current, and we would like to see what is behind it."

Markel nodded, "How would my grandfather be able to help you?"

Raine replied, "I know he has been working on a piece of machinery called a rheaird. This would be useful in our journey, and we were wondering if we could use it. Traveling without one is close to impossible with all the monsters showing up because of the mana shortage. Also he took me to find a very important map, that I think holds a clue to the climate change."

Markel tried to listen to what she was saying, however, his head was far too preoccupied by the events that had just taken place. He wasn't in a condition to converse, hell, he felt like he could barely even stand up anymore. Raine's voice faded in and out, Markel only catching a few words. He looked up quickly, trying not to be rude to the people infront of him.

"I'm sorry," he paused, running a hand through his hair. "I can't just let you take that…It's been in the family for generations."

Genis winced at his comment, understanding the truth behind it.

"And as for the map...I have no knowledge of such," Markel continued. He could tell that Genis was uncomfortable around him for unknown reasons. The half-elf couldn't even look him in they eyes, and this made him uneasy. However though, when Genis did look him in the eyes, there was no look of hatred or deceit.. It was almost a look of saddness, and this confused him.

"Yes, I understand…however, there is something wrong about this situation of Aselia. The light, the mana current, climate change. There is something behind it, and I'm afraid if we do not find out what- there may be harsh consequences," the older elf continued.

Markel nodded, his eyes closing for a moment as his grandfather's past words came forth from memory. '_When I pass away… you may be the only person in Aselia with the power of the rheaird... If there is anything that seems direly wrong in this world…you may be but one of a few who can help. Remember Dwarven Vow number one…'_

"Let's all work together for a peaceful world," Markel murmured, barely audible.

Raine smiled at the mention of the first Dwarven Vow, "Yes."

Markel sighed, "Alright, you can take it…however, I would like to come along."

Genis and Raine looked at each other, silently agreeing that his stipulation was alright.

"I would say you should come, but how would there be enough room for all of us on one rheaird? Especially to travel such a long distance," Genis stated the obvious, trying to come up with a conclusion for this problem.

Markel waved his hand at the two of them, gesturing for them to follow him back into the workshop. Walking around the rheaird, he pointed to a new addition to the machine. "Grandfather knew these machines were becoming pretty much extinct. So we worked together to make the rheaird be able to carry three people, and some storage, possibly four. My idea actually…"

They nodded, noticing the alteration in the design.

"There still is one problem however…We don't know if this will actually fly. It's never been tested, and I know grandfather was not completely done," Markel continued, patting the book under his arm.

Genis sighed in defeat. "So we can't use it."

Markel watched as they looked at the machine skeptically. "Well, I could try to finish up his work. I have his journal here, and I know he writes in his journal about the progression of the rheaird."

"You're a lot smarter than…" Genis started before Raine had the chance to slap him on the back of the head, so he couldn't finish his comment.

Markel looked at him quizzically, "Smarter than who?"

Genis shook his head, shaking off the question.

Markel sighed, his eyes burning because of the late hour, and because of the tears he had been holding back all night. "Well, I have a lot to do. I have to work on the rheaird, and more importantly give my grandfather a proper burial."

Raine nodded, "Yes, I would also like to pay my last respects towards him. Once again, I am very sorry about the urgency of this situation…I do not mean to take away from the terrible loss we have all just experienced because of his…passing away."

"Yes," Markel paused, his hands fidgeting around the book his grandfather had spent so many hours of his life writing in. "Come back tomorrow, please."

Genis and Raine exited, and Markel couldn't help but release a large breath of air in relief. He didn't know how much longer he could keep it together, and force himself not to think about the man that was lying mere feet away. Markel's fingers moved over the ragged leather of a book that had seen almost as many years as his grandfather.

Sitting on a nearby chair, he opened the book, and skimmed through the pages. A slight smile was on his face as he tried to make out his grandfather's notoriously bad handwriting. Here were his grandfather's thoughts, most descriptive plans, mechanics…and feelings. Reading over the pages, he had not even noticed the tears falling from his eyes until it landed on a page, smearing a line in the last paragraph. 'Markel, my boy, has already seen so much in his short life. Though he reminds me much of myself, he is already so much brighter than I ever was. I know he can help this world. Dwarven Vow number 16- 'You can do anything if you try.'

Markel sighed, these were high hopes.

----

Wow, long chapter. To be honest, this was written at seven in the morning, going off no sleep- so there probably are a lot of mistakes... I hope you enjoyed, please review…give constructive criticism…ideas. D. Hell, just flame me.


	4. Sighting

Sorry for the delay.

**Chapter Four: Sighting**

The events of last night, surely weren't going to leave Markel's head for the rest of his life. With his grandfather passing away so abruptly, Markel couldn't help but to feel as if he had no direction. His grandfather way always there to instruct him, and teach him about the life and the events going on around him.

His grandfather, more like his father, was the only thing that had brought him comfort after he moved to Iselia, and now that was gone. He had nothing left but to make a life of his own.

Markel watched as Raine and Genis knelt beside the grave he had dug in front of his house. He didn't understand the relation they had to his grandfather, but he could see in their eyes the sadness they felt.

Markel had not slept the whole night. He stayed up reading the journal his grandfather had kept, simultaneously working on his grandfather's…his machinery. If his grandfather was to be gone forever, he might as well live in his memory and keep up what was to remain of him. The only thing Markel could find security in was the words and knowledge his grandfather had passed to him.

The boy could see Raine and Genis walking towards him, and he quickly averted his eyes from their gaze. He spoke softly once they were within distance of hearing. "We can test the rheaird."

To two nodded as they walked inside of the workshop.

---

Kratos couldn't help but to sigh as his eyes scanned over the land around him. It had been a day since he arrived on a stream of light that could only be described as holy. It was as if the energy of a supreme being had summoned Dherris Kharlan and himself.

As both of his feet touched the ground on his mother planet, he couldn't help but to feel as if he was walking on new land. This land couldn't have been the place he had left two hundred years ago. This land couldn't have been where he was born, reined, served, and abandoned.

The mana around him was so subtle; he could barely notice its presence. Wasn't this the place he had fought yggdragisil to preserve? Wasn't this the place where he had instructed others to restore the mana, and bring peace to a world with discrimination? Hadn't his…son completed the mission of restoration…that he himself had failed to do?

Another sighed escaped the man's parted lips as he turned towards his friend. He could tell Yuan was having the same reaction as he was. Kratos could see the curiosity and worry in the half elf's eyes…wondering if what they had did two hundred years ago had been in vain.

Had human destruction brought this world close to extinction again?

It sure seemed that way. The angels had spread their wings to look over the world from above, and what they saw they didn't recognize.

The world had gone back to its original spherical shape, and this made sense to them considering that both tethe'alla and sylvarant had merged…but this…what they saw was a disaster. The beautiful green and blue Aselia they had viewed from afar on Dherris Kharlan was covered in the color of death.

Kratos couldn't help but let his thoughts be occupied with a small boy that had far succeeded his expectations. Had his son's courage and will towards peace not changed anything?

As far as his eyes could see, the world around them was still struggling for mana. Trees were withering, braches slumping towards the ground, low on their moral. Towns were destroyed, and buildings split apart as the land around them sunk.

The two angels had stopped their flight in the air to return to where gravity naturally pulled them, to the ground.

Yuan looked towards his friend, "What is causing this?"

Kratos shrugged at his friend's question. He wasn't sure what was causing the mana depletion, or the change in the land around them. By far the thing that struck at his curiosity the most was…why had the land been sinking?

He had heard of continental shifting, and it only made sense for this to happen once the two worlds were restored to their original form. However, it seemed as though the land was dying around him.

Had the great tree fallen victim to the surrounding world again? If this was true, there had to be a reason for its decline.

Kratos sighed at the thought. Had everything that they struggled to preserve collapsed again?

----

Markel wiped the sweat from his forehead as he pushed the heavy metal further into a field. Here would be the first run of this ancient machine.

His hands skillfully went over buttons as he went through the systems mainframe, beginning activation. The hum of the rheaird caused a sigh of relief in the boy, as his eyes turned towards Raine and Genis.

It turned on. That was a good sign.

"Wont it be dangerous to fly it, not knowing if it is going to work?" Genis asked. Markel was temporarily taken aback by the look of care in the white haired half elf.

Markel hadn't spoken to the boy more then a couple times, and the genuine concern in Genis' eyes confused him. He had been trying to figure out the connection these two had with his family, but it was beyond his knowledge. Times like this however, he couldn't understand it, but he felt a strong tie between all of them.

Markel nodded, drifting out of his thoughts. "It will be dangerous, but what choice do we really have?"

Markel spoke as he climbed onto the first seat of the small plane. "Let's see how far I get."

----

It had been much to his surprise to see any kind of technology in this world. With a small amount mana, the red haired seraph was amazed at the fact that he could see a machine in the distance. In a world with little mana, how could these people get magitech to work?

At first he was sure the object had been a bird, flying over a mountain, riding the air in a natural phenomenon. It was the last thing he had expected to see exhaust coming from the tail of the animal, riding the machine of wasted material.

It was then realization dawned on him that that bird…was a rheaird. Kratos inwardly chuckled at his own stupidity, how much he had forgotten in two hundred years. However, had rheairds always emitted such smoke from the back of them?

Kratos and Yuan watched as the Rheaird came closer to them, now beginning to erratically move throughout the sky. It appeared as if the machine was going out of control.

A breathe of air was caught in Kratos' throat as he got a better look at the flying machine that was still a good distance from them. He could see people riding on the rheaird, their arms clutching each other as if they feared falling. Kratos stood up from where he had been resting on the ground as he continued to watch the metal bird.

There were three people, who were obviously in danger because of the malfunctioning machine. He saw two cloaked people, white hair meshing equally with the white sky. He couldn't make out their facial expression because of the distance, but the way they were situated around each other, he could tell they were in trouble. And then his eyes landed on the pilot of the rheaird.

Spiky brown hair waved furiously through the wind, a red shirt flapping behind him, attacking the woman in back of him in the face.

Kratos breath had still yet to return, and now he was pretty sure his heart was pulsating faster then his body could withstand. His eyes widened vastly, trying to keep his emotions from taking over his actions, like they seemed to be doing a lot lately. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him, as memories of his son emerged from the pit of his subconscious.

All rationality was thrown from his thoughts. Who he had just seen? Could it be possible that it was...

He had lost the battle with himself, "Lloyd!"

The seraphim had yelled as the rheaird plummeted towards the land, leaving a trail of smoke in its path from the sky.

----

More soon! Review please!!


	5. Unbearable Questions

Long time no see

Long time no see…new chap! Kind of a filler.

--

**Chapter Five: Unbearable Questions**

Once again the shade of night fell on Aselia, closing the world's eyes to the disaster that was brewing in the shadows. Some of the only people that could help the dire situation were left stranded, left to ponder possible circumstances that seemed more than unfathomable.

Markel knew he had little-to-no knowledge about the world around him, but the feeling of so much more stayed with him as he sat in the middle of a field, blankly staring at the fire they had quickly make shifted.

The rheairds had failed, leaving him and the two half-elf siblings to fend for themselves with little supplies. In fact, they would have been completely stranded, had it not of been for a chance encounter with two strangers, that had almost magically come to their aid.

And how excited the two half elves were at these strangers presence. Markel had watched the look of shear joy envelope their faces, upon realization of who these two apparently were. They seemed as though two ghosts had come back from the dead- how unknowingly close were his feelings.

Running a hand through his spiky brown hair, he listened to the conversation that was shared over the fire.

"I thought you were never to return," Genis spoke, his voice meek, sadness evident.

Kratos' eyes stayed on the entrancing fire as flames danced around. Here he was, back in Aselia…a place he was sure he was to never see again. A place he never really wanted to see again. But this was reality, and here he was…had two hundred years really passed?

Kratos winced at the thought. Of course two hundred years had passed, the evidence being the lack of an enthusiastic young boy that shared many of the same qualities he had. He could feel the familiar aching in his side clench at his muscles. He didn't know how much more of this emotional strain he could take. Kratos once again cursed his fate, closed his eyes, and listened to the voices around him that seemed all too familiar.

"We're not sure what the situation is, however it is clearly evident that the great tree has either been destroyed or is almost to that point," Raine spoke, her fact driven personality pushing logic on everyone within hearing distance.

"Yes, and the fact that we are even here right now to see you means that…" Yuan trailed off.

There was a pause around the fire, and Markel looked up curiously at the others. How did these people know so much, about things that he had never even heard of before? The great tree? Dherris Kharlan? He wanted to scream at them to fill him in.

"Someone has the Eternal Sword," Kratos finished Yuan's statement, wincing when he noticed he caught the attention of a young boy with strikingly similar eyes to his own.

Markel's eyes flew open at the words, feeling a breath of air escape his lungs. His eyes scanned the people who were at a distance to where he was sitting. He could feel the mood instantly change at the mention of two words…the only two words that were also familiar to him. Eternal Sword.

It was a legend that had been passed down throughout his family. A legend that seemed so far in the past, that there couldn't be truth to it. It was as real to him as the dawn of life on Aselia, or the God's in the heaven were. There was no way to prove their existence to him.

The fire crackled, and Markel couldn't help the innate instinct to jump back at the startling noise. Inching his way closer to the fire, he clenched his fist. It angered him to know that the people he had embarked on this journey with were leaving him out. How did they expect him to help with anything without telling him everything they knew?

It was then he spoke up, "How do you all know about the Eternal Sword?"

Markel watched as the four looked at each other because of his questioning. He could tell they were deliberating whether or not to tell him. "I want to know, I deserve to know."

Genis coughed and look up at Markel with the same look of sadness Markel had only seen from his eyes. The sadness transferred from the elf's pupil to his, and Markel couldn't help but to be slightly taken aback by its intensity. "The Eternal Sword in a sense, is what binds Aselia… to this planet's mother planet. It holds great power."

Markel tried to wrap his head around the comment. Unable to, he looked at the others in hope they could explain it better. When he was met with silence, Markel sighed. He couldn't stand to be so lost. He didn't understand anything that was happening around them, hell he didn't even really know the people that were around him.

But he could still feel. It almost felt innate to him, to be around these people. Almost as if these people were etched into his consciousness. He had seen the sadness in Genis' eyes every time the half-elf had looked at him. The kind of sadness that could only be felt with loss…and why did he bring out that emotion in the boy?

And now with these two strangers, why- once again, did he feel like he had a strange tie to these two that he had never even laid eyes on before? So many questions circled around his brain, and it was enough to bring him to his knees. 'Maybe if grandfather was here…he could help me..'

Kratos' eyes closed once again, trying to seal in the emotion that was threatening to spill out in liquid form. It took all of his strength to not turn to the boy that was sitting mere feet away.

He wasn't Lloyd.

Of course he wasn't, and it was preposterous to even think there was a chance that he was. He was only setting himself up for a fall that his already beaten down mind couldn't handle. But why was this boy with Genis and Raine? And how did he know what the Eternal Sword was?

Was it a shear coincidence that this boy looked eerily similar to his son, or would any boy that had brown hair fool him into such thought of his wishful thinking?

"Ugh!" Kratos groaned loudly, taking the other's by surprise. Lifting up his heavy legs from the ground, he shook of their questioning glances, and walked away from the fire. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to get away from the mirror image that was haunting him.

He imagined the image of his son would fade over time…and it may have. The lines of Lloys'd face had mangled, the boy's bright eyes turned a dull hue. But they had returned, and were snapped back into proportion by the face a stranger that sat feet away.

--

More soon!


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